Jessop’s “Grieving” Clock

For over 100 years at Horton Plaza in downtown San Diego stands one of the towns most beautiful landmarks and curious oddities.  The pendulum street clock built by Claude D. Ledger who was an employee of the Jessop and Son’s jewlery company has 21 dials telling the local time in hours, minutes and seconds as well as the day of the day of the week and month of the year.

Mr. Ledger being the first employee by the Jessop’s to be hired outside of the family became infatuated with the construction of the clock. The construction of the clock began in 1905 and was completed in 1907 taking a total of 15 months and coinciding with the state fair in Sacramento. The clock movement was entered at the fair and won a gold medal pleasing Mr. Ledger greatly. It was his pride and joy.  It is rumored the owners, when closing up the store always had to check to see that Ledger had left the shop as keeping him away from it was difficult. 

For years the clock kept perfect time, surviving earthquakes, automobiles, wars, and rainstorms requiring only minor maintenance. Throughout his life Mr. Ledger refused to let anyone touch it besides himself.

In Mr Ledger’s later years he began to develop arthritis, and became ill. He would travel to the desert and the drier climate to elevate his soreness. On one of his trips to the desert, he passed away. On the very day of his death, miles away in San Diego, the clock mysteriously stopped. The story made all the newspapers of the day calling it the “The Clock that Grieved.”

While on display at the State Fair in Sacramento, the glass enclosure to the movement was not enclosed.  A little boy looking at the clock thought the a small carved bear he was holding would like to ride the pendulum and placed it inside. Removing it proved to be to difficult a task so it was left inside to ride forever. Looking carefully, one can still see the bear sitting inside to this day.